Allies and Morrison, a multi award-winning architecture and urban planning practice based in London and Cambridge, have been chosen to help us restore, reimagine and rebuild Clandon Park.

With a reputation for well-crafted buildings and thoughtful place making Allies and Morrison's work ranges from architecture, interior design and conservation to masterplanning, consultation and research. Twice shortlisted for the Stirling Prize, 41 of their completed projects have won RIBA awards.

Heritage work

Their practice specialises in placing modern developments into historic sites, achieving seamless interventions in precious places from World Heritage sites to Grade I-listed buildings. These have ranged from careful restorations such as Blackwell in Cumbria to gentle modernisations such as Inigo Jones' early 17th century Queen's House and the insertion of a new planetarium in Greenwich.

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Our approach is about balance; meticulously reinstating historically significant spaces while in others exploiting the extraordinary character of massive brick walls."

Paul Appleton, Partner at Allies and Morrison, talked about his team's approach, 'It's about balance; meticulously reinstating historically significant spaces while in others exploiting the extraordinary character of massive brick walls. New floors and ceilings are slotted into this robust matrix to re-order and to redefine, but only just as much as is needed to create timeless spaces without erasing the marks of time.

From a restored Marble Hall, through the series of grand rooms on the principal floor, to a soaring new space connecting the lower ground floor to a new roof-terrace, each element plays its own particular part.'

Bowled over by a life changing project

Paul Appleton, Partner at Allies and Morrison, gives us his thoughts on the inspiration and excitement felt by his team ahead of their work on Clandon Park.

Paul said ‘This is exactly the kind of project we love to work on. Once in a while something comes along which you think might change your life. I think that this is one of those projects.’

Cultural exchange and expression

Allies and Morrison’s portfolio of arts and culture projects includes the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall and the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, as well as the future expansion of Shakespeare’s Globe, on London's South Bank. They’ve also assisted the Horniman Museum and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum with sympathetic contemporary extensions.

The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London

Allies and Morrison/Nick Guttridge

The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London

For the University of the Arts London (UAL), they’ve helped to re-imagine the site of the former Royal Army Medical College to create a new unified campus for the Chelsea College of Arts. Today for UAL, they’re designing the future homes for the London College of Fashion and London College of Communication.

Looking forward to the next phase

The National Trust’s Project Curator at Clandon, Sophie Chessum, is looking forward to working side by side with Allies and Morrison to restore the most significant spaces and reimagine others.

Sophie said ‘Allies and Morrison see the importance of restoring the beautiful and very significant spaces that were here before. But they understand that they need to bring a new creativity, to combine historic beauty with new beauty.’

Led by Allies and Morrison, the Clandon Park design team includes

Purcell, conservation architects - Working as one family of many experts, Purcell undertakes projects in sensitive sites, listed buildings and admirable places in the UK and around the world.

Price & Myers, structural engineering - Price & Myers is a consulting civil and structural engineering practice established in London in 1978.

Max Fordham, services engineering - Max Fordham are building services engineers who work with all aspects that impact on the internal environment of a building and its performance.

A landscape architect will be appointed after further consultation with the National Trust.

Long section of the interior house revealing the balance of historically significant spaces and the retention of extraordinary brick walls

Allies and Morrison

Long section of the interior house revealing the balance of historically significant spaces and the retention of extraordinary brick walls

At the end of July 2016, following just over a year of work, we completed the initial phase of our project. Our archaeological salvage work has produced remarkable finds including objects that survived the fire miraculously preserved.